with our correspondent in Niamey, Moussa Kaka

It is a real blow that the Nigerien army has just dealt to the jihadists wreaking havoc on the right banks of the Niger River in its Gourma section, west of the Torodi department, heading toward the Burkinabe border.

In a week of operations and sweeps, two Nigerien soldiers were wounded and one vehicle damaged. But the toll is heavier on the terrorists' side: 65 are "neutralized" according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense, 165 motorcycles are destroyed, 12 logistics hubs are destroyed, as well as 12 regroupment bases completely destroyed.

While a lull is observed in the northern zones of Tillabéry due to the army's control of the terrain, the same is not true in Gourma. For some time there has been an escalation of Nigerien special forces in this sector. These offensives have made it possible to disorganize and weaken jihadist groups that engage in looting, intimidation of populations and very often targeted assassinations.

This is the case in the two prefectures of Gotheye and Torodi. To flee these abuses, several villages have emptied of their populations. These are the villages of Bolsi 1 and 2, and the town of Banizoumbou. These military operations, according to the general staff of the Nigerien armed forces, will allow displaced populations in these zones to return to their usual places of residence.